Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

Introduction

Oakley provides high quality support for children and young people and their families. It is the charities responsibility to minimise the risk of harm to children and adults, employees, and volunteers. The child protection policy outlines our commitment to creating a safe, secure environment and provides guidance on the prevention, identification and reporting of child protection concerns in line with the most recent National Guidance for child protection in Scotland 2023 . We work to both national and local authority legislation.

To protect children and young people as well as adults who work within Oakley from harm or abuse.
To provide all staff and volunteers as well as children and young people with the principles of child protection and Getting it Right for Every Child approach
To follow the recommended procedures for accessing and managing child protection concerns, reporting, and working in partnership with relevant agencies to safeguard children.

Policy Intention

This safeguarding and child protection policy is founded on the principles of the UNCRC (incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, Scotland’s Promise, and the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2023. It is our intention to ensure that every child in our care is protected, respected, and nurtured within a safe and supportive environment that upholds their rights and promotes their wellbeing.

Upholding Children’s Rights: We are committed to ensuring that every child in our nursery enjoys their full rights under the UNCRC, including the right to be protected from harm, to have their voice heard, and to grow up feeling loved, safe, and respected. Our practices are guided by these fundamental rights, placing the child at the centre of all decision-making.

Scotland’s Promise

In line with Scotland’s Promise, we affirm our responsibility to create an environment where every child can thrive. We are dedicated to ensuring that every child feels loved, valued, and secure in our care. We recognize our role in supporting each child’s physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing, while actively working to fulfil Scotland’s commitment to protecting and nurturing all children.

Creating a Nurturing and Empowering Environment

We are dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment that supports each child’s positive self-image, independence, and autonomy, appropriate to their age and stage of development. By providing a secure and responsive space, we encourage children to express themselves, build self-confidence, and develop a sense of agency, while always feeling heard and valued by the adults around them.

Safeguarding and Protecting Children from Harm

We are committed to protecting children from all forms of harm, neglect, and abuse. This includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation. We adhere to robust child protection procedures aligned with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, ensuring that the health, safety, and rights of every child are prioritized. Staff are fully trained to recognize and respond to signs of harm, and we maintain clear channels for reporting concerns, always acting in the best interest of the child.

Promoting Wellbeing and Safety

The wellbeing of children is at the heart of everything we do. We use Getting it Right for every Child approach and the SHANARRI (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, and Included) indicators to ensure that children’s needs are met holistically. By fostering these aspects of wellbeing, we ensure that children are given every opportunity to reach their full potential in a safe, caring, and stimulating environment.

Partnership with Families and Professionals

We value strong, respectful partnerships with families and other professionals. By working collaboratively, we ensure that the voices of children and their families are heard and respected, and that comprehensive support is provided when concerns arise. We also engage in continuous professional learning to ensure that our safeguarding and child protection practices are informed by the latest guidance and best practices.

By embedding these principles into our daily practice, we commit to safeguarding the welfare of every child in our care, ensuring that they grow up in an environment where they are loved, safe, respected, and empowered to thrive.

What is Safeguarding? What is Child Protection? – A Definition

Safeguarding is a much wider concept than child protection and refers to promoting the welfare of children and young people. It encompasses protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of children’s health or development, ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best possible outcomes. Child protection is part of this definition and refers to activities undertaken to prevent children suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.

In its simplest form safeguarding practices may be regarded as preventative, whilst child protection processes are reactive.

Safeguarding children encompasses more than the elements covered within this single Child Protection policy; therefore this policy is part of the wider safeguarding approaches outlines in our organisational policies and procedures.

A definition of abuse

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment. Abuse or neglect may involve inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be maltreated at home; within a family or peer network; in care placements; institutions or community settings; and in the online and digital environment. Those responsible may be previously unknown or familiar, or in positions of trust. They may be family members. Children may be harmed pre-birth, for instance by domestic abuse of a mother or through parental alcohol and drug use. There are many definitions of abuse which you will need to be aware of in how to identify and act upon these. These definitions can be viewed in Appendix 1.

Designated Child Protection Coordinator

We have a duty of care to all staff, children, and families to respond promptly and responsibly to any child protection concerns. The designated Child Protection Coordinator at Oakley is the Manager, who is responsible for reporting concerns and accountable for ensuring that the policy and relevant guidance are fully implemented and followed throughout the service. This will be carried out with the support of the Managing Director and the appointed Safeguarding Lead. All managers at this level will also attend mandatory annual Child protection officer training and ensure they are competent in the co-ordination of child protection in line with all guidance.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG)

All staff and volunteers will undergo PVG scheme checks prior to working with families and children to ensure their suitability for working with children and vulnerable groups at Oakley. The service will adhere to the ‘Safer Recruitment Guidance’, and PVG memberships will be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that all information remains current and accurate.

Training and development

Oakley will ensure that all staff and volunteers are competent within their child protection and GIRFEC practice and will attend mandatory basic child protection training before working with our children and families. This will be reviewed regularly and at a minimum annually in line with SSSC CPL requirements. The manager will support the service with in-house Child protection training annually to ensure competence. The manager will be responsible for continuously monitoring this training to ensure staff confidence and competence. There will be a robust induction for all staff working within Oakley and all training support and material relating to child protection will be provided.

Looked after children.

As part of our practice, we will ensure our staff are aware of how to keep looked after children safe. In order to do this, we ask that we are informed of:

The legal status of the child (e.g. whether the child is being looked after under voluntary arrangements with consent of parents or on an interim or full care order)
Contact arrangements for the biological parents (or those with parental responsibility)
The child’s care arrangements and the levels of authority delegated to the carer by the authority looking after them.
The details of the child’s social worker and any other support agencies involved.
Any child protection plan or care plan in place for the child in question.

Please refer to the Looked after children policy for further details.

Support staff under 18

We have specific responsibilities, as outlined in this policy, for any staff under the age of 18 whether living with their families, in state care, or living independently. If a person is under the age of 18, they will be protected as we do the children in our care. A support plan will be completed to ensure their safety and well-being are protected and supported during their employment or training period.

If situations arise during employment which identifies those aged 18 or under are at risk from abuse or neglect, we will contact the appropriate bodies to ensure the individual is safeguarded, following the child protection procedure within this document.

Volunteers

All volunteers will undergo the same PVG, and safer recruitment checks as permanent employees. Volunteers will receive ongoing supervision and support to ensure that they are competent in following safeguarding and child protection practices in line with this policy.

Staff responsibilities

All staff at Oakley have a responsibility to ensure that children are safe and protected from harm.

Staff will:

Prioritize the child’s well-being by providing supportive interactions that build confidence, resilience, and an understanding of safety, health, and positive relationships.
Collaborate with other agencies and participate in multi-agency teams as needed to act in the child’s best interest.
Make timely referrals and share relevant information according to policy procedures.
Share information only with those necessary for protecting the child and acting in their best interest.
Always maintain data confidentiality.
Inform parents about our safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures during registration.
Address staff behaviour changes according to the SSSC Codes of Practice and the staff behaviour policy.
Support children with reassurance and sensitive interactions.
Implement policies for mobile phone and electronic device use, and social networking to ensure children’s safety.
Maintain online safety with appropriate filters, checks, and monitoring.
Follow Safer Recruitment guidance and conduct pre-employment checks, including PVG disclosures for all staff.
Acknowledge the increased vulnerability of children with disabilities, additional support needs, and those in isolated or looked-after situations.
Regularly review and update the policy with staff and parents to ensure legal compliance and relevance.

Our nursery has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager/Managing director at the earliest opportunity, the Whistleblowing Policy should be referred to support this.

Child Protection Procedure

Any concerns will be discussed directly and promptly with the designated child protection co-ordinator and Managing Director
Discuss with the designated person(s) with regards to whom the information must be shared with and how soon to do so
Accurately record the information detailing the reasons for any decision reached. Information should be brief and factual but detail important information, for example date, time, words used, injuries, location, and multi-agency details. All records should be dated and kept confidential. Records should only be shared on a need-to-know basis. Records should be kept in the child personal plan and in line with confidentiality and GDPR guidelines.
Record all child protection concerns using the designated child protection form located in the office.
In the event you cannot contact the designated person in the first instance, and there are immediate concerns for the child’s safety, contact Amanda Greig or Safeguarding lead If you cannot contact any of the designated persons above, contact the social work or police yourself.
The Child Protection Coordinator will follow up action taken by Child Protection Team. The child protection co-ordinator will ensure that follow up has taken place in a timely manner. Initial response should be the same working day and if this is not the case the Managing Director must be informed. All contact with the Child protection team will be recorded on the Child protection record including the conclusion. If there is any concern regarding a report failing to lead to conclusion the Managing Director will be contacted.
Parents are made aware of this procedure via Oakley`s website and policy information on application.

Child Protection Contact Information

Aberdeen City Child Protection Unit— 01224 306877
Aberdeenshire Council social Work Department— Portlethen Office 01467 537111
Aberdeenshire Council Social Work Department Out of Hours Service— 0345 6081206
Grampian Police—Police Scotland 101

Quality Frameworks

CI Quality Framework

1.2 Children are safe and protected

Health and Social Care Standards

3.20 I am protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.

3.21 I am protected from harm because people are alert and respond to signs of significant deterioration in my health and well-being, that I may be unhappy or may be at risk of harm.

3.22 I am listened to and taken seriously if I have a concern about the protections and safety of myself or others with appropriate assessments and referrals made.

4.17 If I am supported and cared for by a team or more than one organisation, this is well coordinated so that I experience consistency and continuity.

SHANARRI

Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included

UNCRC Article(s)

3- The best interests of the child must be top priority in all things that can affect children.

6 – Every child has the right to life. Governments must do all they can to make sure that children survive and develop to their full potential.

12 – Every child has the right to a say in all matters that affect them, and to have their view taken seriously.

13 – Every child must be free to say what they think and to seek and receive all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law.

16 – Every child has the right to privacy, the law should protect the childs private, family and home life.

19 – Governments should do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and bad treatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.

32- 36- Governments must protect children from work that is dangerous or might harm their health or education, from the use of illegal drugs, from sexual abuse and exploitation, must ensure they are not abducted or sold, must be protected from all forms of bad treatment.

37- No child shall be tortured or suffer other cruel treatment or punishment.39- Children neglected, abused, exploited, tortured or who are victims of war must receive special help to help them recover their health, dignity and self respect.

Appendix 1

Definitions of abuse

Physical abuse

Physical abuse is the causing of physical harm to a child or young person. Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, or scalding, drowning, or suffocating. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child they are looking after.

There may be some variation in family, community, or cultural attitudes to parenting, for example, in relation to reasonable discipline. Cultural sensitivity must not deflect practitioners from a focus on a child’s essential needs for care and protection from harm, or a focus on the need of a family for support to reduce stress and associated risk.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is persistent emotional ill treatment that has severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development. ‘Persistent’ means there is a continuous or intermittent pattern which has caused, or is likely to cause, significant harm.

Emotional abuse is present to some extent in all types of ill treatment of a child, but it can also occur independently of other forms of abuse. It may involve:

Conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person
Exploitation or corruption of a child, or imposition of demands inappropriate for their age or stage of development
Repeated silencing, ridiculing or intimidation
Demands that so exceed a child’s capability that they may be harmful
Extreme overprotection, such that a child is harmed by prevention of learning, exploration and social development
Seeing or hearing the abuse of another (in accordance with the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018) National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023 Part 1: The context for child protection 13 Version 2.0, August 2023

Sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an act that involves a child under 16 years of age in any activity for the sexual gratification of another person, whether it is claimed that the child either consented or assented or not. Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether the child is aware of what is happening or not.

For those who may be victims of sexual offences aged 16-17, child protection procedures should be considered. These procedures must be applied when there is concern about the sexual exploitation or trafficking of a child.

The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at or in the production of indecent images, in watching sexual activities, using sexual language towards a child, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a person under 18 into sexual activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact. It can also occur using technology. Children who are trafficked across borders or within the UK may be at particular risk of sexual abuse.

Criminal exploitation

Criminal exploitation refers to the action of an individual or group using an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, or for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator. Violence or the threat of violence may feature. The victim may have been criminally exploited, even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation may involve physical contact and may also occur using technology. It may involve gangs and organised criminal networks. Sale of illegal drugs may be a feature. Children and vulnerable adults may be exploited to move and store drugs and money. Coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons may be involved.

Child trafficking

Child trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt, exchange, or transfer of control of a child under the age of 18 years for the purposes of exploitation. Transfer or movement can be within an area and does not have to be across borders. Examples of and reasons for trafficking can include sexual, criminal, and financial exploitation, forced labour, removal of organs, illegal adoption, and forced or illegal marriage.

Neglect consists in persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. There can also be single instances of neglectful behaviour that cause significant harm. Neglect can arise in the context of systemic stresses such as poverty and is an indicator of both support and protection needs. National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023 Part 1: The context for child protection 14 Version 2.0, August 2023 1.44 ‘Persistent’ means there is a pattern which may be continuous or intermittent which has caused or is likely to cause significant harm. However, single instances of neglectful behaviour by a person in a position of responsibility can be significantly harmful. Early signs of neglect indicate the need for support to prevent harm. The GIRFEC SHANARRI indicators set out the essential wellbeing needs. Neglect of any or all of these can impact on healthy development. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers); to seek consistent access to appropriate medical care or treatment; to ensure the child receives education; or to respond to a child’s essential emotional needs.

Faltering growth

This refers to an inability to reach normal weight and growth or development milestones in the absence of medically discernible physical and genetic reasons. This condition requires further assessment and may be associated with chronic neglect. Malnutrition, lack of nurturing and lack of stimulation can lead to serious long-term effects such as greater susceptibility to serious childhood illnesses and reduction in potential stature. For very young children the impact could quickly become life-threatening. Chronic physical and emotional neglect may also have a significant impact on teenagers.

Female genital mutilation

This extreme form of physical, sexual, and emotional assault upon girls and women involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Such procedures are usually conducted on children and are a criminal offence in Scotland. FGM can be fatal and is associated with long-term physical and emotional harm.

A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the full and free consent of both parties and where duress is a factor. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual, and emotional abuse. Forced marriage is both a child protection and adult protection matter. Child protection processes will be considered up to the age of 18. Forced marriage may be a risk alongside other forms of so called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA). HBA includes practices used to control behaviour within families, communities, or other social groups, to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or ‘honour’.

This overview provides a general understanding of the definitions of abuse, but it is not comprehensive. We encourage you to further explore resources on the NSPCC website to continually update and expand your knowledge of abuse.